Nighttime Visitor
by LostOne125
Summary: Dean gets an unexpected visitor while he is dreaming. Spoilers up to Episode 5.14. "My Bloody Valentine."


**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or the characters. **

**Spoilers up to Episode 5.14 "My Bloody Valentine." If you haven't seen it, press the back button. **

Nighttime Visitor

The steady beat of waves crashing against the shore woke him up. The sand pressed through his t-shirt to his skin and curled around his body like a grainy bed. The smell of salt was heavy in the air.

Dean sat up and looked around uncertainly. The bright sun temporarily blinded him, so he blinked a few times.

Suddenly, his eyes fixed on a figure standing closer to the edge, dipping their feet in the water. He shielded his eyes from the glare of the sunlight. Then he dropped his hands and dug into the sand underneath his fingertips. _Another damn angel. Not now. Not after what just happened._

He stood up unsteadily with a smart-ass remark on the tip of his tongue, until he was interrupted.

"Hello, Dean Winchester," the stranger said, not turning around just yet.

The hunter's face morphed into a sneer. "Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in my head?"

The stranger turned around and faced Dean. It was a short African American woman with shoulder length black hair. She looked to be about in her late thirties or so. Her dark jeans were rolled up to her knees, while she walked up toward him. She pulled the cream sweater around her tightly as she approached him.

"Don't you come any closer," Dean threatened, taking a few steps backwards. He wasn't fooled by her appearance. Power seemed to be rolling off her in waves. It unnerved him.

The woman stopped and stared for a few moments, her brown eyes boring into him. Her gaze sent a shiver of down his spine. She glanced around the beach with a tiny smile on her face. "Isn't the beach beautiful? It's one of my favorite places on Earth."

She turned from him and stared out over the ocean.

Dean didn't move any closer to her. He watched her for a moment. She was just another dick angel, but he couldn't squash down that bit of hope that maybe she was really going to try and help them. _No. Don't trust them, he repeated in his head._ "I'm not saying yes, so you can forget it."

She faced him once again. "I'm not here to convince you to say anything, Dean. Come walk with me." She started walking closer to the edge of the ocean, the waves sliding up the shore to lick at the soles of her feet.

Dean stayed where he was, planting his feet firmly in place. "I'm not doing anything."

She stopped and sighed. "It's not like I can hurt you in here. Have you been listening to anything I just said? I actually want to help."

He ground his teeth and clenched his jaw in annoyance. "You're lying." If it was one thing Dean knew, it was to never trust an angel. There was only one exception to that rule and that was Cas.

She faced him and looked at him sympathetically. "I'm not lying to you, Dean. Now walk with me. "

Dean stared into her eyes and a feeling of warmth and peace spread across his body and settled into his chest. He shouldn't like it, but he couldn't help it. Something told him in his gut that this was important. No matter how much he wanted to kick and scream and punch things, mainly her. But, he didn't.

She waited patiently near the side. "I just want to talk. That's all."

Dean reluctantly followed her as she continued to walk down the beach. He glanced around as the sun beat down on them. He stayed a couple steps behind and watched her carefully.

"What is it that you want from me?"

She slowed down her pace to walk beside him. Dean glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, putting a little distance between them.

The woman smiled at his actions, her eyes darting toward him as he moved. "I know what Famine said to you. What I'm trying to figure out is why you believed him. It must be the low opinion you have of yourself. You truly underestimate yourself."

Dean's eyes widened in surprise and sputtered, "H…H…How do you know about that?" He completely missed the other things she said about him and focused on those other words. An ache grew in his chest as he remembered the Horsemen's words.

"I have my ways, Dean," she said quietly, skipping ahead a little. She almost reminded Dean of a little kid, completely fascinated by the things around her.

The hunter jogged to catch up with her. She continued to talk. "And, I know about Sam. All this must be difficult for you to deal with."

Dean's face hardened at the mention of Sam. "Don't talk about Sam. You don't know anything about my brother."

She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Famine lied to you, Dean. He was just trying to mess with your head and it seems he succeeded. I heard you earlier. That is why I'm here."

"You heard me what?"

"I heard you ask for help," she stopped walking to look at him. "I shouldn't be here, but I couldn't help myself. You sounded so defeated."

Dean's mouth opened and closed. Once he regained his speech, he glared at her suspiciously. "Why the hell do you care about what I'm _feeling_?" He crossed his arms across his chest.

She tipped her head back and gazed at the sky. "What you desire, what you hunger for. Famine will never be able to give you. "

Dean bit his lip agitation and anticipation. A few moments passed. "Well?" he said. He knew shouldn't be listening to a word she said.

She smiled at his impatience and trained her eyes back on him. "You yearn for peace and happiness. You want this whole Apocalypse thing to be over with. Famine can't give you that."

A breath shuddered out of him. _How could she know that? That can't be the reason, but then again it made perfect sense. All he wanted was this to be over. He wanted Sam to be happy. He wanted Cas to get his angel mojo back, and he wanted Bobby to walk again. He wanted Ellen and Jo back .But Famine said…_

She reached out and gripped his wrist tightly and tugged until he met her eyes. "Dean Winchester, you are not dead inside. You are actually one of the brightest souls I have ever encountered in a very long time."

Dean took another shaky breath and bit his lip down in contemplation. _He wanted to believe her, but…_

"The way you care for Sam and Bobby, the guilt you hold over Castiel's decision to give up Heaven to help you, and the grief you hold over Ellen and Jo's death. No man who is dead inside can feel the range of emotions you do. "

Dean felt a tear slide down his face. He quickly wiped his face and pulled his arm out of her grasp. "Is that it? Is that why you crashed my dream to tell me about this stupid future I hope for but I know will never come true and that I'm worthy and shit?"

She released his arm and shook her head in exasperation. She bent over and dug in the sand, pulling out a swirling brown and white seashell. "Even in the face of truth, you still try to deny it and make jokes. I am not lying to you about any of this. You're losing faith and that saddens me. Dean, I need you to do a favor for me. If you do, I can promise you something."

"What do you want from me?" he mumbled out. His throat ached; the urge to scream and cry fought through his body. He beat the instinct down and calmed down. He was barely holding on.

"I need you to have faith. I need you to keep fighting, whether you say yes or you find another way to defeat Lucifer. I just need you to keep fighting a little bit longer."

Dean shook his head in confusion. He didn't understand her request.

"Wait, that's it. Like I was going to give up," he said sarcastically. All there was now was Cas, Sam, Bobby, and him. The colt didn't work. Cas was losing his powers. He really didn't want to say yes, but they were running out of options. He felt lost and helpless and it really sucked.

She simply nodded and smiled sadly. "You did seem like you wanted to give up. It did cross your mind a few times, so don't try and deny it."

Dean frowned and looked away guiltily. They were Team Free-Will, but Michael's words did cross his mind more than just a few times. He didn't want to say yes, and sometimes the urge to run away and hide seared through his bones. But, he couldn't do that to Cas or Sam. Not after everything they fought for and everything they lost. "Well, what are **you** going to do then?"

"When that moment comes where it just really goes bad…"

Dean interrupted, "You mean when the shit hits the fan."

She chuckled. "I guess you could say that."

She stared into his eyes. "I want you to know that I'll be by your side. I promise."

He blinked a few times, shaking his head in disbelief. "Who are you?"

"Just a friend," she said, pressing two fingers to his forehead.

Dean jerked up from his bed, chest heaving. He looked over and saw Sam was fast asleep. He swung his legs over the side of the bed with his back to his brother._ It was just a dream. Yeah, a dream. No angel gives a shit about him._

Something sharp poked him in the leg.

He reached under the covers and pulled out a seashell. He stared at the tiny white and brown seashell in his hand.

He turned it over in his hand and whispered out, "Okay, maybe it wasn't a dream."

A small bulb of hope bloomed in his chest. Maybe they still had a chance.

* * *

I know I didn't really explain who it is, but I don't want to outright say it.

Can you guess who it is?

This just popped into my head, right after I saw the episode.

Dean's plea just broke my heart.

Hope you liked it.

Please review.


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